Potestatem Wiki
Potestatem The country of Potestatem was created for AP Language Class. The country has two main areas, the outside and the inside. The inside is a communistic city known as Verborum that is comprised of only the very best minds and muscle in the country. The only way to enter is to be born into the city, or to prove your worth. Everyone let into Verborum has to be of a certain IQ level, and those born into the city have the best education. Because of this, the citizens are law-abiding and outstanding and the government is effective and just; the city runs smoothly and regularly. The outside, however, is a wasteland. This area is for everyone else in the land that either doesn't make the cut, or simply doesn't want to live in the city. While the inside has tried to control the outside, it proved easier to let it remain on its own, thus making it a lawless land. Safety is not guaranteed when traversing the outside, as there are bandits, factions, and gangs that pollute the area. The inhabitants on the outside must survive themselves and receive no help from the government. Potestatem is located on a lush island in the South Pacific, and the most common way to leave the island is through the harbor in the city. Some have constructed boats and left, but most people choose to stay, for reasons listed under the immigration/emigration section. The motto for the city is "Et lux in tenebris" which translates from Latin to "A light in the dark". The national language is Latin. The Center- Sector 0 Crimes In Verborum, like in most societies, it is illegal to commit some actions. These actions are called crimes. There are two categories of crime in Verborum: Civilian and Military. Below are lists of the two. Civilian Crimes The list that follows is civilian crimes from least to most offensive. Destruction- accidental dismantling, disabling, or annihilation of government or civilian property Theft- purposeful stealing from civilians or government Illegal marketing- selling of illegal substances, like alcohol or drugs Sabotage- Deliberate destruction of civilian or government property Assault- physical attack of fellow citizens Manslaughter- accidental killing of fellow citizens Murder- Purposeful killing of fellow citizens Military Crimes The list that follows is military crimes from least to most offensive. Desertion- Military personnel deliberately disobeying orders or trying to avoid or escape military duties while in action Treason- Military Personnel physically turning against the Potestatem military or exposing military secrets. Court Court consists of judge, jury, prosecuting attorney, and defense attorney. Everyone has the right to a trial. Punishment The consequences that are given to someone who has committed a crime inside the walls is determined by level of offense it applies to. When you commit The following is a list of the levels of offense and what crimes are included in listed level. Level 1 Offense- Destruction and theft. Consequence: Fine and/or 1-3 years in prison (depending on what is stolen and/or destroyed is up to the court's discretion) Level 2 Offense- Illegal marketing and sabotage. Consequence: Fine plus 3-5 years in prison (up to court's discretion) Level 3 Offense- Assault and manslaughter. Consequence: 5-10 years in prison (up to court's discretion) Level 4 Offense- Murder and military crimes (desertion and treason). Consequence: 20 years - life in prison or possibly sentenced to death. (up to court's discretion) ID Cards All citizens of Potestatem are required to have an ID card (that was issued to them when they first came inside the walls) on their person at all times, just in case someone of authority needs to ID them. Population Control Population in Verborum is at a constant 200,000. Each death and birth has to be accounted for to ensure that overpopulation does not occur. When a member of society dies, a family will be chosen at random to be allowed to have a child. Children whose parents may have died are also up for adoption, and families looking to have a child can choose from there. A fixed population is important in Verborum, because if it were to become overcrowded it would be near impossible to maintain. Scientists are also experimenting with stem cells in embryos3 to help ailments, or even immortality. Immigration/Emigration Immigration Because Potestatem is an island, those who immigrate to it always come from the ocean. Any immigrants who wish to stay out of Verborum are free to do so, but, if they wish to travel inside the walls, they must first take a series of cognitive and psychological evaluation tests. Once inside Verborum, visitors can stay in guest lodges inside sector 1 for a period of three months before they are asked to leave. Emigration Citizens outside the walls of Verborum can leave the country anytime they choose, but few have constructed boats that can survive the ocean. Citizens inside the walls of Verborum can also leave whenever they want, and have access to boats and ships that can survive the journey by ocean to other countries. But few choose to. That is because of two reasons. The first is that citizens who wish to leave have to pay a large fine: six months' worth of paychecks. The second is that the government of Verborum lies to their citizens about what lies outside their country. The world outside Potestatem has governments that are similar to the governments of our lives: democracies, monarchies, etc. The government of Verborum knows this. However, to keep citizens of Potestatem from leaving, they tell their citizens that the entire world is ruled by anarchy, much like outside their walls. This scares the citizens into remaining in their own country. Residential- Sector 1 Sector 1 of the city is dedicated to the comfort, leisure, and productivity of citizens of Verborum. Schools, transportation centers, houses, recreation centers, and stores can be found in this sector. Houses Houses in Verborum are structurally sound, reliable, and comfortable. Houses were built to last, and some may stand for 300 years. All houses have access to plentiful sources of water, electricity, and natural gas and have a well-run plumbing system. Though they are practical, the houses are not boring by any means. It fact, they could be considered works of art. The designers and architects of the houses built in Verborum do their best to make the houses visually appealing and unique, incorporating courtyards, archways, winding staircases, decorative windows and doors, high ceilings, and many more intricate and beautiful designing choices that really make living places 'homes,' instead of just houses. Transportation The centers for many modes of transportation are located in the Residential Sector of Verborum. The biggest station for the Verborum Monorail is located here, for instance. The Verborum Monorail runs through all of the six sectors through all hours of the day, and can take citizens almost anywhere very quickly. Another very common way to travel locally is by bicycle. The Bicycle Center, a warehouse that distributes bicycles, is also located in Sector 1. While it is less common, citizens can also choose to ride an electric-powered car. Thus, there is the EcoCar Center, another warehouse that distributes such vehicles. However, very few citizens choose to use them, as they are not as fast as the monorails and can't fit down narrow alleyways and streets, like bicycles. Schools Education is very important to the people of Verborum. There are, in total, ten school campuses: two elementary schools, two middle schools, two high schools, three colleges, and a military academy. All, except for the military academy, are located in Sector 1. Each school has a different purpose and a different goal. (For Military Academy, see Sector 5) Elementary School The first 6 years of education in Verborum comes from elementary schools. The first three years can be described as 'not intense'. During these years, teachers slowly introduce and build upon subjects like math, science, history, and language. The last three years, however, are more intense. Curriculum goes at a faster pace and more detailed and difficult subjects are introduced. At the end of their Elementary education, students will be given an exam testing what they have learned from the past five years. If they pass the exam, students will move to middle school. If not, they will be held back an additional year in Elementary school with special tutors to help them pass the exam. If they repeatedly fail the exam, students are subject to be removed from Verborum, but the chances of that happening are extremely unlikely. Middle School The next three years of education happens in middle school. Here, the subjects and curriculum from elementary school are expanded upon and intensified. Students will progress at a faster rate than elementary school and they will be exposed to harder challenges. At the end of middle school, the students will take another final exam. Those who pass the exam will move on to high school. Those who fail will spend an additional year in middle school with special tutoring. Those who repeatedly fail the exam will, again, be subject to removal to outside the wall. High School High school in Verborum is a place where students get their final years of un-specialized education. It is very intense and very fast-paced. Students will be expected to perform a wide variety of specific tasks and projects. At the end of high school, students will take a final exam. Those who pass may move on to college or to the military academy. Those who fail will be given one additional retake one month after the first exam. Should they fail that as well, they will be removed from Verborum and sent outside the wall. Colleges Verborum contains three colleges: the College of Math and Science, the College of Industry and Agriculture, and the College of Law. The College of Math and Science focuses on preparing students for work in Sector 4. It can prepare students for any kind of math or science career. The College of Industry and Agriculture prepares students for jobs in Sectors 2 and 3. The College of Law prepares students for careers in sector 0. It is the smallest of the three colleges. Recreational Centers Recreational Centers are three buildings inside of Sector 1. They contain a lounge, with board games, card games, tabletop games, and a television, an exercise gym, a swimming pool, an outdoor sports field, and an arcade. Here, citizens can come to relax, hang out with friends, or play in community sports teams. Shops, Stores, and Restaurants All shops, stores, and restaurants in Verborum are located in the Residential sector. Here, citizens can choose to spend their paychecks as they wish. The paycheck always includes enough to buy plenty of food to sustain a household, as well as extra for anything a citizen may like to purchase. There are stores dedicated to clothes, furniture, recreational technology, food, and many more. There are also a few restaurants, each with its own specific food and price range. Though there is no alcohol permitted inside Verborum, there is also a bar that serves non-alcoholic beverages. Workforce- Sector 2 The Workforce, or Sector 2, is an area in which its main purpose is to industrialize. This area contains factories, mines, and the harbor. Some of the wood used in the workforce is gathered from a small, dense, forest on the inside, but most of it is gathered from The Outside. Jobs requiring labor are done with machines, as citizens of the city are needed for much larger tasks. Harbor There is a harbor located in Sector 2 that leads to the outside through a river system. A gate blocks the entrance to the city through the river, and another gate blocks the exit to the ocean. The purpose of these gates is to authorize the ships that are entering and leaving the city, and to make sure no unauthorized personnel is able to get in. The wall also expands along the river, guarding any ships from the unpredictable members of the outside. Ships are the main way of transport to the island, as the airstrip is used only for military reasons. Overall, the harbor allows for city ships to leave, and allies to come in for trading purposes. Factories Factories are an integral part of society as all of the products are made there. Limited amount of workers are need for the factories because almost all of the products produced are machine operated. This allows for more workers to be dispatched in other sectors of the city. The only people inside of the factories are the technicians who operate and maintain the machinery. Their job is to make sure that everything is functional, and to fix it if not. There are 50+ factories that each contain varying items that are to be moved to the stores. Most factories also extend into the earth to manage the amount of space it takes up. Depending on the factory, there can be up to 10 layers that are underground. A system of conveyor belts allow the items on the bottom floor to be transported up, then loaded into a government managed truck for shipping. Mines Naturally, ores and minerals are needed to create the products in the factories. This is where the mines come in. Various mines are located in the workforce sector, each containing different deposits. The city was built atop a wealth of resources, including oil, iron, and gold. These mines also use machines, more specifically robots, to mine the ores. Machines are programmed to search for the desired mineral, then extract it from the rock. Minerals extracted are then transported to a warehouse where they are examined, cleaned, and eventually sent to the factories. Human support is required for the mines, but only to mark new sections in the mines, or to guide the machines. Agriculture- Sector 3 Sector 3 is the agricultural area located in Verborum. This goes together with the workplace, however Sector 3 is focused primarily on the essentials needed for living, rather than products. This area contains farms, wells, and a storage for food. Farming In order to sustain life, food must be grown. There are multiple farms in which various crops are being tended to. Such crops include wheat, potatoes, carrots, and beans. Each crop has its own building to where it is tended by machines. Temperature and growth devices are manipulated to provide the best environment for the crops to grow. Once the fresh food is fully grown, it can then be transported directly to the store where it is put on the shelves. Water Water supplied to the city is contained is a large, underground aquifer.1 This water is then pulled up through wells. However, since Verborum is such a large city, it cannot rely on wells alone for all of its water. Also underground, aqueducts2 are used to transport the water to houses across the city. Pipes lead off from the aqueducts directly into homes, and are then used by the public. A plumbing team maintains the water to make sure that it is pure, and also checks the piping to reduce the chance of breaks. Food Storage To store food that does not go directly to the grocer, silos are used. These contain the excess of the food grown, and are maintained by workers directly. Machines are not used for this, and preserving the minerals in the food is of top concern. Silos are made of reinforced cement, and have small windows on the side to easily transport the food out of it. Math, Science, and Economy- Sector 4 Medicine Verborum has the finest of medicine that is made in the city that will treat its citizens to the fullest that it can. If sickness hits a citizen inside Verborum they will either do one of two things depending on the severity of the sickness. If the patient has a minor disease like the flu then they will stay home until it goes away, so it doesn't spread to other people. If this happens then the productivity of the people will be reduced, which is never a good thing. If the patient has a serious, life threatening disease then they will immediately go to the hospital where doctors will treat them before the disease gets too bad. Although this is very rare since it is hard for diseases to get in the city because of the thorough medical checks that happen to every person before they enter the city from the outside. Science Policie''s In Verborum, the restrictions on what and what not is allowed for research is rather open ended, allowing unrestricted stem cell research, cloning, embryo research, extreme psychology (such as convincing people they are cows), and other touchy topics. This is partly possible due to the large supple of humans outside of the wall that make good test subjects. ''Technology Technology in Verborum is far more advanced than the outside. This is because we have scientists, engineers, and inventors inside the city with the resources available to them to test their ideas, while the outside there is a lot of war and theft which slows their ability to focus on working on such things, as well as they are not that well educated with the sciences. With Verborum's organized and orderly way of making new and advanced technology it makes it easy for them to defend themselves from the savages that are on the outside trying to attack the city. Energy Verborum is 100% powered by alternative energy sources. Every single roof is covered with solar panels, and the bay has wave treaders to gather energy from the ocean. The wave treaders also have wind turbines on them, and there are geothermal generators and hydrogen plants beneath Sector 0. Currency In Verborum, everyone is given a stipend of 1000 credits. This allows them to afford the food they need to eat, the clothes they wear, and a little bit extra, like a lamp, per say. Military- Sector 5 The Wall The Wall is the name given to the massive wall that divides Verborum from the outside. It is at least 60 feet high and 10 feet thick. This serves as the only protection from the anarchists on the outside. Guards man specific points on the wall to make sure that no one on the outside is attempting to scale it or damage it. One gate is the only way to the outside, and that is also heavily guarded and armed. Overall, few people have attempted to breach the wall, and no one has made it over. Military Technology The following is a list of what the Potestatem military has in it's armory Grenades- M67 fragmentation grenade, AN/M8 white smoke grenade, and M7A3 CS gas grenade Handguns- M9 and M11 handguns Rifles- M16A4 assault rifle and M4 rifle Vehicles- Jeeps, tanks, planes, helicopters, armored cars, and armored trucks. Outside The Wall Occasionally, when rival wars on the outside become too much, troops will be sent out to stop it. Only when the actions of the savages of the outside directly impact the well being of the citizens on the inside is when Verborum gets involved. Other than those few times, the government does very little to stop or help faction wars. Prison In the prison building, there are three different sections for each level of offense. The following is the list of the sections. Section 1- For level 1 offenders; low security Section 2- For level 2 and 3 offenders; medium security Section 3- For level 4 offenders; maximum security Military Academy If a person of 18 years or older wishes to enter the military, they enlist and then are sent to boot camp. Boot camp consists of 13 weeks of rigorous training. The people who go to boot camp have to undergo the following training procedures: physical fitness training, mental fitness training, weapons training, defensive tactics, war tactics, basic survival training, flight school, and medical training. Arts- Sector 6 Sector 6 is devoted to the preservation of the fine arts. In this sector, you'll find centers for music, dance, literature, and visual arts. While it is not possible to pursue a career in any of these fields in Verborum, the arts remain a big part of the culture in the city. Performing Arts The performing arts in Verborum include a dance group, a drama group, and the Verborum Orchestra. These groups meet in the evenings after the working days are done. They each have performances a few times a year, and citizens of Verborum love to attend them. Visual Arts Painting, sketching, and drawing have strong roots in Sector 6. There is an art studio that is open after working hours, and many citizens choose to go there to work on art projects for fun. Once per year, an auction is held for the best works of art from the studio. The artist gets to keep the highest bidder's money. Literature On the side, citizens can choose to attend creative writing and historical literature classes run by citizens with some experience in either field. From there, people of Verborum can choose to write their own stories, fiction or nonfiction. The best may be published and sold to the public. Research 1 http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/geophysics/h2o1.htm 2 http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/roman-aqueducts.html 3 https://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/3.htm = Photos and videos are a great way to add visuals to your wiki. Find videos about your topic by exploring Fandom's Video Library. Category:Browse